With apologies for the lateness of this post, our next monthly meeting is this evening, Tuesday 12th January at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton, TA1 3DH. 8pm start.Report from our December meeting
15 Dec
This was our Write for Rights evening, which, as has become customary, we spent writing cards to prisoners of conscience and their families, and letters to the authorities in their countries, pleading their cause.
Letters of solidarity can make a real difference to a prisoner wrongly detained, for family members waiting for news of a loved one who has ‘disappeared’, or for a torture survivor fighting for justice. A letter can also remind an abusive government that the world is watching.
Our monthly action focused on one of the Write for Rights cases: the problems that women in the sub-Saharan country of Burkina Faso in West Africa have in resisting early forced marriages, getting access to contraception and other basic sexual health services and information. We wrote to the President urging liberalisation in these matters.
Among others we wrote to Saudi Arabia for imprisoned human rights lawyer Waleed Abu al-Khair, to Malaysia for political cartoonist Zunar, to Syria for Rania Alabbasi, a dentist, and her six children, ‘disappeared’ since 2013.
The meeting had a lighter side too: members had brought festive food, which we enjoyed while we also made decorations for the Amnesty Christmas Tree at the United Reformed Church’s Christmas Tree Festival (pictured).
Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2016 to all our followers and supporters!
Next Taunton Amnesty Group meeting Tues 8th December
2 Dec
Tuesday 8th December at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton,
TA1 3DH. 8pm start.
Our December meeting is an informal one where we write cards to prisoners of conscience for Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign, and enjoy some festive nibbles. We look forward to seeing you there!
To find out more about the Write for Rights campaign click here.
Note: there is parking at the rear of the church; ring the bell at the rear entrance if there is no-one there to let you in. Check the board by the entrance door for which room we are in.
Report from our November meeting
18 Nov
Atena Farghadani is a 29 year old Iranian artist; she was jailed this summer for over 12 years for her art and her peaceful activism. Since then she’s faced further charges: she shook her lawyer’s hand when he visited her in prison and is now facing charges of ‘illicit sexual relations falling short of adultery’.
We sent cards to Atena and wrote to the Iranian President urging her release. There is also a petition to sign on the AIUK website here.
Members had written letters and cards, which we all signed, on behalf of people imprisoned or facing the death penalty in Morocco, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Iran.
We’re taking part in the annual Christmas Tree Festival in the Taunton United Reform Church, held from 11–13 December. Trees are displayed and decorated by groups in the town, which makes a thought-provoking and seasonal display. We hope you can go along and see our tree!
Another annual event for the Christmas period is Amnesty’s Write for Rights campaign, when we send cards worldwide to those persecuted and write on their behalf to their Governments. Done on a national scale this campaign has a considerable impact. We’ll be writing cards at our meeting on Tuesday 8 December at 8pm in the Silver Street Baptist Church. Do join us to write cards and enjoy some Christmas nibbles.
Next Taunton Amnesty Group Meeting Tues 10th November
3 Nov
Our next monthly meeting is on Tuesday 10th November at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton, TA1 3DH. 8pm start.
Join us to hear about our campaigns, human rights and the work of Amnesty International. Our group monthly action will be for Iran, and we’ll also be having a discussion about human rights, international standards and the regime in Saudi Arabia.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Note: there is parking at the rear of the church; ring the bell at the rear entrance if there is no-one there to let you in. Check the board by the entrance door for which room we are in.
Amnesty International UK: Imprisoned Writers Readings, Yeovil, 31st October
28 Oct
Yeovil Literary Festival
Imprisoned Writers Readings, Octagon Theatre, Yeovil, Saturday 31st October, 3pm.
Yeovil Literary Festival is delighted to present one of Amnesty International UK’s famous Imprisoned Writers Readings with guest speakers Nicolette Jones, Cathy Bakewell and Chris Ewan.
It is an event chaired by Amnesty UK, with guest speakers each reading an extract from work by a writer imprisoned or censored for his/her beliefs. Inspiring, moving, informative and engaging – this event is not to be missed.
Nicolette Jones is an author, journalist, broadcaster who has been the children’s book reviewer of the Sunday Times for more than two decades. She has been a Director of the children’s/young adult programme at the Oxford Literary Festival, a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at University College. She was a Scholar at Oxford University, and a Henry Fellow as a graduate student at Yale.
Cathy Bakewell, Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville, MBE is a member of the House of Lords for the Liberal Democrats.
Chris Ewan is a British crime and mystery writer. He is best known for his Good Thief series of travelling adventures featuring Charlie Howard, a thief and author of his own crime series. Ewan was born in Taunton, Somerset and now lives on the Isle of Man with his family.
Please note that although this event is free a ticket will be required for admittance into the auditorium. Click here to book.
Report from our October meeting
21 Oct
In Japan, Matsumoto Kenji could be hanged any day now, and he does not know why. He has been on death row for over 20 years. He was sentenced to death in the early nineties for robberies and murders committed with his brother (who killed himself in detention). Matsumoto has had a mental disability and low IQ from birth, allegedly caused by mercury poisoning. Despite this, he was ruled mentally competent and his sentence confirmed in 2000.
We wrote to the Japanese Minister of Justice asking her to commute Matsumoto’s death sentence, to improve the treatment of death row prisoners and introduce a moratorium on the death penalty. You can send an email to the Japanese authorities asking them not to execute him by clicking here.
We have begun to work on behalf of our new Burmese Prisoners of Conscience, five journalists on the Unity newspaper, sentenced to 7 years imprisonment for ‘disclosing state secrets’ in an article on an alleged secret chemical weapons factory. Unity has been forced to close after the imprisonment of most of its staff; their sentencing has had a chilling, intimidating effect on journalists working in Burma.
We meet at 8pm on the second Tuesday of the month in the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton. All are welcome.
Taunton Amnesty schools debate planned for 2016
19 Oct
In spring 2016, the Taunton Amnesty Group plans to host a debate about the Human Rights Act involving local schools. We hope the event will happen in the last 3 weeks of the spring term, and so far King’s College, Queen’s College, Taunton Academy, Taunton School and Richard Huish College are interested in taking part.
If anyone following our blog is a school teacher or governor at other local schools, or if you know someone who is, and would be interested in taking part, please email: benjaminhughgrant@icloud.com
Many thanks!
Next Amnesty Taunton Group Meeting Tues 13th October
6 Oct
Our next monthly meeting is on Tuesday 13th October at the Silver Street Baptist Church, Taunton, TA1 3DH. 8pm start.
Join us to hear about our campaigns – including our new prisoners of conscience in Burma – plus find out more about human rights and the work of Amnesty International.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Note: there is parking at the rear of the church; ring the bell at the rear entrance if there is no-one there to let you in. Check the board by the entrance door for which room we are in.
Burma: The Unity 5
4 Oct
Following the release of peaceful activist Dr Tun Aung earlier this year, our group now has new prisoners of conscience in Burma that we will be campaigning to have released.
Lu Maw Naing, Yarzar Oo, Paing Thet Kyaw, Sithu Soe – reporters for the Unity newspaper – and Tint San, its chief executive officer, have been sentenced to seven years imprisonment for “disclosing state secrets” as a result of their legitimate work as journalists, after Unity published an article about an alleged secret chemical weapons factory. They are prisoners of conscience, and their detention demonstrates the continued risks to media workers and restrictions on freedom of expression in Myanmar. The Unity newspaper has been forced to close following the imprisonment of most of its staff; their sentencing has had a chilling, intimidating effect on journalists working in the country.
If you would like to help us by writing letters on their behalf, please email: martin@crich.eclipse.co.uk who will send you our appeal sheet with details of the addresses to write to. Alternatively, visit our Burma page on our website here for all the details you need.
Thank you very much for your support.
Amnesty International Taunton Local Group 